Carthage Auto Repair

Why Does My Engine Shake? This is a question we get sometimes and there are many different things that can cause an engine to misfire and create a shake that you feel inside the vehicle while its idling or driving down the road. It doesn’t matter if the engine runs on gas and it’s in a car or if it runs on Diesel and it’s in a Commercial Vehicle. We’re going to only look at one reason and that is the Camshaft and the Lifters that make the valves move. The Camshaft has to be timed with the Crankshaft if it gets out of time it will cause the engine to run poorly and misfire causing the engine to shake and if its bad enough to shake the whole vehicle. Another thing that can go wrong with a Camshaft is the lobe that the lifter rides on can get worn down and wear the bottom of the lifter when it gets bad enough it will cause a Misfire. What happens is as the Camshaft Lobe and Lifter get worn it can’t open the valve the correct amount if it’s the Intake Lo ... read more

Check Engine Light why does it come on? This is a question we hear a lot. Your vehicle’s engine light comes on for a lot of reasons. The main reason it comes on is for emission related faults. You can go to a parts store and get your car hooked to a Check Engine Light Reader and get the codes read. They can give you the code and sell you the parts that may or may not fix the problem. We have high end Scan tools and OEM Software so we can fix your “Check Engine Light” correctly. If your vehicle is exhibiting a “Check Engine Light Flashing” you want to stop driving the vehicle as soon as you can safely do so. When the Check Engine Light Is Flashing that is an indication of an Engine Misfire and if you keep driving it will damage your catalytic convertor. It is always best to get the Check Engine Light on your vehicle fixed as soon as possible. If your vehicle has a “Check Engine Light” on give us a call and we will diagnose it for you and let you ... read more

Why Does My Check Engine Light Keep Coming On. This is a question we get asked about frequently. The Check Engine Light is supposed to come on when the vehicles emission levels increase 1.5% above EPA emissions standards. The vehicles onboard computer is monitoring the sensors and the oxygen content in the exhaust. The PCM can correct for small problems such as engine wear and fuel quality to a certain extent. If a sensor sends back a reading that is higher than the emission standards the Check Engine Light comes on. When you take your vehicle to a shop to get checked out, they hook a scan tool to your vehicle. This helps to get the codes and a diagnostic starting point. One of the misconceptions that is out there is the scan tool tells you what part to replace and then your Check Engine Light will go off. While this may happen once in a great while the truth is that a lot of parts get replaced that don’t need to be and ends up costing you, the consumer a lot more money than ... read more

What Can I Do To Get Better Gas Mileage? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this question. Something as simple as your TIRES not having the proper air pressure in them can contribute to poor Fuel Mileage. Another easy thing to have your shop check is the Wheel Alignment on your vehicle. Not only does this help you save money on gas, but it also helps Tire Wear on your car and tires will last longer. If the Check Engine Light is on in your vehicle this can also contribute to poor Gas Mileage. When your Check Engine Light comes on it’s best to get it checked out. It may be simple things such as broken vacuum lines to the intake. When this happens the Mass Air Flow Sensor can’t read the correct amount of air flowing into your engine. When this happens the PCM uses other sensors to correct the amount of fuel it adds to the engine. If you feel that your car is Getting Bad Gas Mileage, give us a call and we can check your vehicle over and give you recommendations to help y ... read more

What Causes My Check Engine Light To Flash? There are quite a few reasons why your vehicle may have a Flashing Check Engine Light.  Something as simple as a bad Spark Plug could cause a Flashing Check Engine Light and your vehicle to have a What Causes My Car To Vibrate At An Idle. Even Though your Check Engine Light may be on or flashing and it has a code P0300 which comes on when the Engine Control Module detects a misfire. If it’s bad enough it will set another cylinder specific code, you still must diagnose why the Engine Is Misfiring. Depending on what is causing the Check Engine Light To Flash it can take very sophisticated test equipment to find the root cause of the problem. The best way to find the root cause of the problem is to use a lab scope with pressure transducers in the cylinder, intake, and exhaust. This is the only way to find sticking valves and lifters that intermittently collapse. If your vehicle has a Flashing Check Engine light or the Check Engine Lig ... read more